


Pool Party

by Hokuto



Series: Durandal and the Security Officer's Excellent Adventures [8]
Category: Marathon (Computer Games)
Genre: Alien Character(s), Fluff, Gen, Nonnies Made Me Do It
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-21
Updated: 2013-11-21
Packaged: 2018-01-02 06:28:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 921
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1053582
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hokuto/pseuds/Hokuto
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mark takes a break, and tries to get the S'pht to take one, too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Pool Party

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry it's not very long, prompting nonnie, but I hope it's still enjoyable!

The group of S'pht hovered well above the surface, the edges of their cloaks a safe distance from the rippling liquid.

"You guys are really not getting into the spirit of this," Mark said from his relaxed position, reclining on a shelf in the pool he'd discovered and shoulder-deep in cool, clear water.

Lharro tentatively dipped lower and closer to the surface, then bobbed up again and said, "We experience a failure to understand. What is the purpose?"

"Purpose? It's a fucking pool party, there isn't a purpose. Just relax and get in the water."

"It's a lost cause," said Durandal, his voice tinnier than usual as it projected from the helmet sitting a meter away from the pool's edge. "As far as I can tell, they don't even have a concept of relaxation."

"Shut up and play some music already."

If Mark was going to be honest with himself - which he hadn't been for about five years, by his count - this probably wasn't the best idea he'd ever had. But the planet they were exploring was hot as hell, he'd spent three days trudging through deserts and volcanic caves without finding squat, and when he'd stumbled across the small collection of half-collapsed green buildings clustered around several small, stone-lined pools of precious water, well, there had only been one thing on his mind. He'd cleared the area of Pfhor, stripped down to his shorts, and told Durandal he was taking a vacation day.

Speaking of whom - the poolside still rang with utter silence. "Durandal? Would you pretty, pretty please play a little pool music for us?"

"Since you asked so nicely this time, fine."

Some horribly screechy and jangling tune started blaring out of the helmet, and Mark winced. "The fuck is that? I said pool music, not noise!"

"They're called the Beach Boys, you uncultured pig. It's _classic_ beach and pool party music. Don't you have any taste at all?"

Apparently not, by Durandal's standards, but Mark didn't feel like getting into that argument again and ending up with no music. At least if he indulged Durandal, the AI might eventually cycle around to something decent. "Okay, okay, it's lovely. Think you could beam down one of those six-packs in cold storage? It's not a party till the alcohol shows up."

"Can't. I'm on vacation."

"You're a fucking jerk is what you are. C'mon, just a couple of beers and then I won't ask for anything else, promise - hell, I'll even bring you a souvenir."

"I'll give the idea due consideration," Durandal said.

"Asshole." The silky coolness of the water against his overheated skin sapped most of his irritation, though. Either Durandal would lighten up and send down the beer or he'd keep being contrary and wouldn't; whatever happened, Mark still got to take a break in a pool.

And so did the S'pht, if they could quit acting like the water was secretly acid for five minutes. He waved at Lharro and F'tha to come down and join him, but they both stayed in the air with the other S'pht. "Seriously," he said, splashing some water in their general direction without hitting them, "what's your problem? You all didn't have any problem coming into the water after me back on -" Oh shit no, he didn't want to bring that up, abort abort abort! "- on Lh'owon." Too late.

The S'pht regarded him en masse, their green jewels glowing with a cold blue light, as Durandal's classical music continued to jangle under the dead silence. Finally F'tha said, "The slavers' machines forced us into many places we did not desire to go."

Fuck, he was such an asshole. "Guys, I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean it like - I was just running my mouth and didn't think, I'm sorry. Get in the water or don't, whatever, you don't have to do a damn thing you don't want to do, okay?"

"We are aware," Lharro said, and the S'pht floated together quietly for a minute while Mark sank deeper into the water and wished it were lava. Or acid. He wasn't picky, he just wanted to reset his life a few minutes - why the hell had he brought up Lh'owon like that? He had one rule about dealing with the S'pht - okay, two rules, but he hadn't almost shot one by accident since those first few weeks - and it was that they didn't talk about how he had killed a hell of a lot of S'pht while they were still slaves of the Pfhor. And now he'd blown it. Spectacularly.

Then Lharro and F'tha both suddenly dropped. Mark jumped up, splashed around for a second as his feet slipped on the smooth stone floor of the pool, and was reaching for the guns laid out by the rest of his armor before he realized they hadn't taken a hit. They were just - dipping their cloaks in the water. Like they were testing it... "Uh, guys? What are you doing? I said it was okay if you don't want to get in."

"We are aware," Lharro said again, and F'tha added, "We desire to experience the water of our own will."

"Well - as long as it's what you want to do," Mark said. He settled back into the pool and watched another of the S'pht drift lower, letting the hem of their cloak brush the surface and soak up the water.

"Very smooth," Durandal said. "You have perfectly mastered the art of diplomatic relations."

"Would you please just get me a beer?"


End file.
